Buried deep within
by gyikhu
Summary: Empty days, tears, sleepless nights. It all comes to an end when a stranger appears in Croft Manor and forces Lara to an unknown adventure. She has no choice but to comply. Surprises may await her on this journey.
1. Chapter 1

**Here we go, a new experiment. What can two people make out of the same idea? Starting with the same scene, where do we get at the end? **

**My version of the story plays after Underworld and Alistair's death. I hope you will like it, and reviews are welcome as always!**

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><p><em>I do not find my place. After all this time I dare not think about what I should have done. Watching him die was like tearing out a part of my soul, losing a best friend and still having no choice, but to stay strong, hold my head high and go after his killer. It killed me from inside. It killed me to see that my friends, the<em>_ only two people left on my side thought me to be a cold, emotionless woman, who didn't even take a minute to mourn him. It was my fault, but I knew that if I had stopped to think about it, I would have broken down and never come back to my feet again. Three months have passed and it didn't get better…. There is not a single day I don't blame myself for not having done something to save him… no matter what. Alistair… my friend…_

Her vision blurred when she wrote down the last words. Her eyes filled with tears, one spilled over and fell onto the paper in front of her. The place where it landed, became wet, the fine-lined letters smudged. The pen stopped in her hand, a deep sigh left her full lips.

No, Lara shook her head. She didn't want to cry anymore. In the last three months there had been no day when she didn't cry. Secretly, hiding in her room, keeping her tears to herself. Would it ever get better? No matter how much Zip and Winston tried to convince her that she could have done nothing for him, Lara couldn't give in, couldn't step over it and forget about him.

Drawing in a deep breath, she released the pen, taking care that it was lying exactly parallel to the sheet of paper she was writing on. Someone had told her that writing would help. It didn't.

Lara swallowed, stood up and walked over to the window. Outside it was dark, windy, heavy raindrops were drumming on the window-sill. As if heavens were mourning for him, too. She knew Zip was worried about her, so Lara tried to hide her sadness and pretend to feel better whenever she met him. A forced smile, light voice, a happy face. It took her incredible efforts. So she stayed in her room and avoided meeting anyone. When she closed her eyes, she could still see his painful face in front of her, she could still hear his last, hardly audible words…. 'see you in Avalon'. Damn it, she cursed inwardly, hating herself for thinking about it again.

Maybe Zip was right. She needed something to distract her attention. A new adventure, a challenge, anything to bring her out of this dark mood before she got locked inside her gloomy state of mind. She watched a lightning flash across the black night sky. A fraction of a second. Just as much as she would have needed to save him. If she had been faster.

She turned her head, trying to force her mind to other thoughts before she drove herself crazy. Why did that happen? Why did all die who she had loved? Her parents, Werner, Kurtis, Alistair… just to say the least. Was it a curse or a blessing that she was still alive? She walked back to her desk, stopping in front of the mirror for a moment. There she was, young, trained, pretty. And still there was such sadness in her brown eyes that it was impossible to hide. People found her mysterious, but all she felt was loneliness.

The feeling chased her, haunted her and it was getting worse at night when sleep avoided her. Lara walked through the empty manor, listening to the sounds of the silence. Her heavy boots made no noise when she descended the stairs. A lightning flashed again, white light filled the dark rooms for a moment. She closed her eyes when she suddenly saw his body lying in front of the glass wall. Pressing two fingers in the bridge of her nose she tried to get rid of the nightmare. A nightmare that obsessed her even when she was not asleep.

She kept walking, without even knowing where she was going. When she realized it, she found herself standing at the side of the pool, watching the motionless water. The few small lights at the bottom of the pool were turned on, filling the room with an eerie, bluish glow.

There was only one, quiet click in the silent night, but Lara heard it. She heard it, but didn't make a move. When she raised her head, a dark figure was standing only a few meters away from her. Tilting her head to the side, she fixed her gaze on him.

"Who are you?" – her voice was low, not more than a whisper.

"That's not important at the moment." – the man answered calmly, coming closer a bit, but keeping a safe distance from her. "My employer has a job for you."

"I'm not interested." – Lara turned to walk away. "Leave my house."

"I think you don't understand me." – he didn't try to stop her, but something in his voice kept her in place. His deep voice echoed in the empty pool room, the water reverberating his words.

Lara raised a brow in surprise although he couldn't see it in the dark. Her slim figure moved closer again, trying to make out who she was talking to. "What makes you think you can break into my house at night and convince me?" – she kept talking evenly, not really caring what would happen next.

"As I said you didn't understand me. I'm not trying to convince you." – when he said that two more shadows appeared behind Lara and before she could even make a move, they grabbed her arms, twisting them behind her back. She groaned out in pain and surprise. The man stepped closer, the blue light fell on his face revealing a strange plastic mask he was wearing. It made his face look like a grotesque grin.

"What do you want from me?" – Lara hissed in pain, the two men forcing her down to her knees when the guy in the mask stopped in front of her.

"It's not me, Lady Croft. My employer wishes to see you and he doesn't like being refused."

"And I don't like being forced." – she retorted. The man laughed out coldly.

"I'm really sorry for this, but we knew you would leave us no other choice." – he reached out, raising her face to look into his eyes. "Don't look so sad, it won't hurt."

He spun on his heels, walked towards the exit. "Take her to the car!" – he ordered his men. "And Lady Croft" – he turned back to her when he saw her trying to struggle free. "If I was you, I wouldn't make any trouble. It would be too bad to lose more of your friends."

His menacing laughter filled the room, leaving no doubt he meant what he had said. When the two men dragged her towards the door, Lara made no attempt to resist.


	2. Chapter 2

The backside of the van was dark and dirty. Lara's hands were tied behind her back, so she was unable to stay on her feet when the two men pushed her inside. She landed hard on the metal surface, breathing in the dust that stirred up.

"Thanks, guys." – she was coughing, looking at them rigidly before they closed the doors and utter darkness surrounded her again. Not that she cared. She welcomed the calmness of it even if she was lying uncomfortably in a van, not knowing where they took her. The only important thing was to keep Zip and Winston safe. If she ever lost either of them, she wouldn't know how to get over it. Lara struggled to a sitting position, leaning against the side of the van.

After a while she totally lost her sense of time and direction. Having no idea where they were heading, Lara gave up guessing. She would find out soon enough. If only she could reach for the knife in her left boot. When the van turned sharply to the right, Lara fell again, rolling hard on the floor. After a sudden breaking, the vehicle stopped and Lara felt like being tossed around in huge mixer. She turned her face away, blinking heavily when the harsh light of a huge lamp filled the cargo area again.

One of the men appeared in the door, and Lara tried to kick him in the face when he moved closer, but he was faster. Not being able to see anything but silhouettes, she kicked blindly towards them.

"Stop it!" – the man in the mask called out. "Do I need to remind you what will happen to your friends if you don't do what I tell you?"

Lara froze in the middle of the move, lowering her foot back to the metal surface in surrender.

"What do you want from me?" – she asked quietly, trying not to look into the light that hurt her eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough." – he gestured to his men and they dragged her out of the van. When Lara was finally able to look around, she realized they were at an abandoned airport site somewhere outside the city. Followed by the two men, she walked after the masked man to a big cargo plane. Before they entered it through the open plateau, he turned around and held a mobile phone towards her. "Now call your friend and tell him you'll spend a few days away as you need to clear your mind. They shouldn't look for you till you contact them."

"What's this good for?" – she wondered though she knew the answer perfectly.

"Just do it. My employer doesn't like surprises and uninvited guests. I'll dial for you." – he held the phone to her ear and watched her talk. Only a few short words, no tricks, no hidden messages. Lara kept her gaze on his face, but it was impossible to recognize him under the mask. His features looked twisted, altered though the transparent plastic. "Get in!" – he nodded towards the inside of the plane. "We have a tight schedule."

He didn't touch her, didn't try to toss her. There was no need for violence. He could see it in her eyes that she would obey. That was exactly what he expected. The strong Lara Croft was shaken, hurt deep inside and he wanted to use that to his own purposes. Through the small eye holes of the mask he watched her walk inside. The pants accentuated her shapely body, her hair fell onto her back. Despite the heavy boots she looked more feminine than anyone he had ever met before. Her brown eyes sadder than anything else. For a short moment he felt sorry for her.

"Where are you taking me?" – she looked at him with those chocolate eyes, her hands still tied behind her back.

"Sit down." – he offered her a place. He knew his manners, not like those two who he was forced to work together with. They had no idea how to handle her, he did. Lara took place, crossed her long legs elegantly. "There's no need to make it any harder than it has to be." – he left her there, walking over to the pilot. Lara could hear the quiet orders he gave him, but could not make out his words. Wonderful, she thought. Why didn't she care? Those lines she had written before were swirling on her mind. All those she had lost over the years… it made her tough, at least from outside. Inside she felt weaker than ever before.

The plane moved, slowly rolling over to the airstrip. She felt the vibration of the engines, that huge power that was able to lift this monster into the air. The lights of the city became smaller and smaller as they flew higher and higher. The airplane turned, its wings tilted to the side. Lara mentally said goodbye to England and waited where fate would take her.

The light rumble of the plane woke her when they landed. She had no idea what the time could be, or where they were. Outside it was still almost dark, the first rays of the sun just appeared in the east, painting the horizon light blue. When the plane stopped, the masked man stepped to her.

"Please, follow me!" – he point towards the plateau that slowly opened at the backside of the machine. To her biggest surprise there was sand around her, everywhere she looked. The air was still cool after the night, but Lara knew this would change very fast with the cruel sun wandering higher in the sky. They landed in the middle of nowhere. A jeep was waiting for them and after a short trip tents appeared in front of them. White ones, hiding between the sand dunes. When the car stopped, she jumped out, her boots sinking in the sand.

The sight that welcomed her was more than surprising. A big fat man was sitting in the shades of an open tent, a few steps in front of him a guy on his knees, his head lowered in surrender. His hands were tied behind his back as well, just like Lara's, a sack covered his head, so she couldn't see his face. What the hell, she thought, stepping closer. Very soon she found herself kneeling next to the guy with a gun held against her head.


	3. Chapter 3

"Welcome my dear!" – the fat man started to talk in a far too sweet voice. "I'm really glad you joined this little gathering."

"What do you want from me?" – Lara growled, not even caring about the gun held against her head. Her voice was not more than a low grunt.

"You don't even want to know who I am?" – he wondered with a huge smile on his face. "I'm very disappointed at your manners." – he slowly shook his head, but did not stand up from the chair that was painfully squeaking under his weight.

"If you tell me your name, all the best. It will take me less time to find you afterwards." – Lara kept her eyes on him. The guy kneeling next to her stirred a bit, but gave up when the gun was pushed harder against the back of his neck.

"I'm Aldrich Archer Wellington" – he said proudly, but his smile weakened a bit when Lara showed no sign of recognition.

"I still have no idea what you want from me. Don't waste my time!" – Lara suddenly felt angry, forgetting about her despair for a while. Why did this man drag her here and keep a gun against her head?

"As you wish." – he nodded and at his signal the men standing behind Lara grabbed her and the guy, pulling them forcefully to their feet and tossing them towards the backside of the tent. Her eyes narrowed at Wellington, who obviously felt in charge. It was hard to walk in the sand while someone was tossing her from behind, but Lara said nothing. Pride and negligence were fighting in her, and the latter found its way through. So she let them toss her once again. Though curiosity slowly appeared and made her wonder what she was seeing. There was a dark hole in front of them, maybe two meters bright.

When Wellington walked over to them, his men forced Lara and the stranger to their knees again. Now he was wearing a wide hat against the sun that was rising ever higher in the clear blue sky.

"What is this?" – Lara wanted to know, looking curiously at the gap.

"This, my dear, is what I brought you here for." – he walked a bit closer, but kept some distance. The man in the mask was standing right behind him. For no certain reason Lara kept her gaze on his hidden face. "I found the tomb of Imhotep and I want the golden book of Egypt." – he said casually.

"Oh… I think you are watching too many movies." – Lara laughed out, her voice suddenly light and easy. This guy could not be serious, she thought to herself. Only the tight ropes around her wrist kept her aware that she was not dreaming. A few hours ago she was still ambling around in her manor and now she was kneeling in Egyptian sand, looking at the tomb of Imhotep? What an incredible irony of life.

"I'm glad you find the situation so entertaining. Then I guess it won't be a problem for you to get it for me." – he continued easily, cleaning his sweating forehead with a tissue.

"Why don't you get it yourself?" – Lara asked, but she was more and more curiously measuring the hole in front of her. Could it be true? The tomb of Imhotep? Would this man be able to find what archaeologists were looking for in vain for decades?

"I think that's enough talking." – Wellington's voice suddenly got deeper, the sweet smile disappeared from his face. "You'll get the book for me, and I let you go after that."

"What if I don't?" – Lara felt that the situation was getting more serious. This man looked like a lunatic and she was more and more certain that he believed what he had said.

"I think my friend here" – he nodded towards the masked man – "told you about your options. I don't want to hurt anyone. It would be a shame if you forced me to." – he fixed his gaze on her, some kind of silent madness appeared in his greenish eyes. "About the rules." – he continued after deciding Lara understood her situation. "You have fifteen hours to get the book and bring it to me. If you don't comply, a phone call to England is enough and you know what would happen."

Anger glinted in Lara's eyes when she looked up at him again. She pulled her shoulder, trying to get rid of the man holding her, but did not manage.

"So that you don't feel alone, I organized some company for you." – they tossed the stranger forward, he stumbled to the opening. When he tried to resist, he was hit on the head and he fell into the hole. Lara opened her mouth to oppose, but it was too late.

"You've lost your mind." – she groaned under her breath.

"Please don't say such things. I might take it as an offense." – he smiled again, though his smile was anything but friendly. "I give you the choice. You go by yourself or we'll help you."

There was silence for a while, no one said a word. Lara moved her stare from Wellington to the opening and then back to the man. She lowered her head in surrender.

"I need a gun." – she said in a low voice.

"I don't think so." – Wellington shook his head, seemingly amused. "You'll do fine as you are." – he nodded. The masked man walked over to Lara. He gently pulled her up from the ground, standing behind her. While he freed her hands, he leaned closer.

"Just do as he tells you and it'll be alright." – he whispered in her ears so that no one else could hear it. Lara looked down into the opening, the stranger was lying at the bottom. It was only about two meters deep, so he most probably did not get hurt.

"The countdown starts now." – Wellington said, waited till Lara jumped down and walked back to the tent.

"Was this really necessary?" – the masked man asked while he removed the plastic from his face. A deep scar was running from his forehead down to the corner of his lips. "You could have hired her without threatening her."

"That's not your business. Just do what I pay you for. Lara Croft is strong, she will get me what I want." – he sat back into the chair and drank from the bottle standing on the table next to him. The scar-faced man waited for a moment, then left without saying a word.

Lara landed safely on the floor and hurried over to the guy lying motionless. She had no idea who he was or why he was there. Wonderful, she thought while trying to check if he was injured. She couldn't just leave him there. Her hand moved, grabbed the edge of the sack, pulling it off his head.

"What the hell?" – she stumbled back in shock when she saw his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Lara could not recoil as she bumped into the wall of the passage. When she saw the face of the stranger, suddenly she forgot about everything else. She did not look around where she was, but kept staring at his features that were not at all unknown to her. On the contrary. Despite the few years that passed by, she remembered this face very well.

"Kurtis" – she whispered softly and went back to him. Squeezing her lips together, she sat on the floor next to him with an anxious expression on her face. Did he get hurt? How could this be? All these years she had thought him to be dead and now he was lying in front of her unconscious? She reached out and her fingers touched his face. Ever so gently. His skin was warm, sweat appeared on his forehead. Lara could imagine those blue eyes so well, even though she could not see them. Moving her fingers to the back of his neck, she tried to feel if he was injured. There was blood on her hand when she pulled it out again, but it did not look very serious. He groaned softly at her touch.

When his eyes opened, he tried to focus on what he was seeing. Some light was coming in from the opening above them, so he could make out a face looking back at him. The first thing he realized was the pair of brown eyes. And the sadness in them. Then he saw the light arch of her brows, the curve of those gorgeous full lips, the long, brown hair put together in a ponytail. Damn, why did this dream linger on his mind again and again, he thought in irritation, but deep inside he did not mind it. Seeing her face in front of him every night brought him relief. The one and only beautiful thing in all that madness.

He closed his eyes again, trying to keep the image in front of him as long as he could. To his biggest surprise she was still looking back at him when he blinked again. How could that be? He bolted up from the floor, almost bumping into her. Lara reached out, putting a hand on his chest to keep him there.

"Are you alright?" – she asked in a soft, caring voice. They were just staring at each other for several minutes without saying a word.

"Yeah, sure" – he cleared his throat, moving his gaze around to see where they were. He had to. Looking at her any second longer was dangerous. "What the hell is this place?"

"You're alive" – she wondered in amazement, not taking her eyes off him. Several seconds passed again before she talked. "How could you do that to me?" – she burst out and with a sudden move she punched him in the face.

"Ouch… what the hell… why did you do that?" – Kurtis groaned in pain, rubbing his aching jaw. "Are you out of your mind?" – the sadness disappeared from her eyes for a moment and fury took its place. Lara forgot about her pain, the threats and everything around her. The delight she had felt seeing him alive turned into anger about the fact that he had let her believe for years he had been dead. She simply turned away and left him there, not wanting to talk about her feelings.

When Kurtis finally struggled to his feet and followed her down the passage, Lara was already standing in front of an abyss. He still could not believe his eyes when he saw her there. She had not changed a bit. Her tempers either, he thought, moving his jaw. Why did women always have to be so dramatic?

"Would you tell me what we're doing here?" – he stopped beside her, still not knowing what to think. Lara gave him the cold shoulder. Getting irritated himself, Kurtis grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He felt her fight against it, her muscles tensed as she tried to free her wrist, but he did not relent. "Tell me what's going on!" – he murmured, holding her close.

She kept staring daggers at him, but could not get away. Her lips quivered in anger and anticipation she felt being so close to him. "Take your hands off me!" – she hissed threateningly. More afraid of herself what she would do if she could not break free from his embrace.

"What if I don't?" – he looked at her defiantly. He felt her steady heartbeat, her chest heave as she was breathing in and out. God, he forced his mind to other thoughts and abruptly let her go. "Please tell me." – he leaned against the cold, dusty stones of the wall to clear his mind.

"You have no idea why you're here?" – Lara asked back surprised. When Kurtis shook his head, she sat down to the dusty floor, watched him do the same. "I don't know much." – she started. "There is a guy called Wellington, who brought me here against my will. I need to find an artifact for him within fifteen hours."

"What do I have to do with all this?" – Kurtis rubbed the back of his neck where he had been hit.

"That I don't know." – she declared, standing up again. "I need to keep going." – she backed a few meters, started to run and jumped over to the other side of the abyss.

"Wait a minute…" – Kurtis did not even grasp what she was doing. "How can someone be so pigheaded?" – he muttered under his breath, running after her.

Lara came to a halt when she heard Kurtis land behind her. Damn it, she thought. She needed to be alone, to do this alone.

"Please go back and leave me alone!" – she turned around to face him. "This is my job, my responsibility. You have nothing to do with it." – fear ran through her at the thought of losing him… again. To lose someone who was important to her even though she did not know him really well. There was this connection between them she had felt right away when they had first met. Pushing him away from her, out of the danger seemed like the right solution for the moment. She could not lose anyone else. Not again. Not after Alistair.

"What are you talking about?" – he looked at her in disbelief. "No way, I leave you alone here. There must be a reason they brought me here, too."

Yes, to torture me with it, Lara thought, but did not say it aloud. How could they find the connection between them? They hardly knew each other. Why did she count him to her friends at all? She blinked back the tears that threatened to run down her face. If only there was someone to console her. If only he held her again… just for a few moments. Drawing in a deep breath, she steadied her voice.

"Please Kurtis. I don't want to explain. Just go." – she turned to continue down the passage, but he stepped behind her.

"What happened to you?" – he gently brushed a curl of hair out of her face. "I want to see you smile again." – he whispered.

"It's not the time for smiling." – Lara lowered her head and wanted to walk away when some loud rumble shook the corridor. They both looked up in horror.


	5. Chapter 5

**I start with a quote I've seen somewhere and found right away that this fits so well to Lara. Unfortunatetly I don't know who said it. **

**_"For every reason you have to give up and quit I have a reason to win, For every reason you have to stay on the ground after being pushed I have reason to stand and kick the one who pushed me."_**

**Enjoy reading!**

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><p>The rumbling grew louder and stronger, and Lara did not like it. How many times had she felt this in forgotten tombs, forsaken catacombs, hidden vaults and crypts and it never meant anything good.<p>

She wished more than anything to stay close to him, to feel his presence and finally forget about all the terrible things happening around her. But all she did was grabbing his hand and pulling him after her when she had seen what was coming.

"What the hell….? – Kurtis' eyes widened when he saw the huge boulder rolling towards them with deafening noise. As if the whole place was shaking. "Where did that come from?" – he froze for a moment, but then felt Lara pulling him in the opposite direction. He did not think twice.

"Does that matter?" – she shouted, running as fast as she could. There was no place to hide, no place to avoid it. The corridor was one long, dark straight line and she had no idea how they would survive. Lara grabbed the flashlight, the only weapon Wellington was granting her, and nervously moved it around while dashing deeper and deeper without knowing where they were heading. All she could see was the flat stones of the wall, the dusty surface they were running on and darkness surrounding them everywhere while the rumble was coming closer. Now she understood very well why Wellington sent her in here. The place was so full of traps she had never experienced before. And whoever invented them, made sure no one would get out alive. Why was she trying so hard at all? But she knew the answer. Survival instinct was stronger in her than ever before and she knew exactly why.

If only he had the time to concentrate… he could maybe attempt to stop that thing, Kurtis thought while running. He had to save her, no matter what. Seeing her again was like a shock, but he craved it. In Paris he had missed the chance, now he would not make the same mistake again. No matter what, he would find out what had hurt her and put the smile back on her lips. If they did not die a painful death right here…

There was no way out… no way out…no way out… Lara was starting to panic as the boulder was coming close and closer, but she did not dare to look back. The flashlight shook in her hand, the small light spot racing along the wall in an uncontrolled way as if searching for a solution itself.

"There!" – Kurtis cried out when he spotted the place on the floor that was even darker than the rest. Pitch black actually. Collecting all his strength, he took the lead and in the very last moment grabbed Lara. "Jump"! – he shouted desperately, almost in the air.

This was their only chance. A very small chance, but there was no choice left. Kurtis had no idea where they would land, if at all. The light flashed in front of him sometimes as Lara's hands flailed in the air. Those three seconds seemed like eternity. They groaned out loud when they landed hard on the ground, stirring up the dust. A huge blast shook the place. Panting for air, coughing, aching, they were lying there on their backs. But they were alive.

"Where are we?" – Lara asked after a few minutes when she was able to talk again. As she got no answer, she lifted up a bit from the floor, looking around with the light. The corridor looked the same, the walls just as empty as before. When she sat up, Lara realized that the blackness they had seen was just another abyss. The boulder had crashed down with a deafening noise and they had landed safely on the other side. Safely. When had her life ever been safe? She let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" – she heard his voice behind her.

"I've told you not to come with me." – she whispered softly, rising to her feet. Watching out for every step, she walked to the wall. "Do you have a lighter?" – she pointed the flashlight at him. "I've found a torch."

"When do you finally accept it that I'm staying?" – he walked over to her, getting out a lighter from his pocket. The small fire flickered in the air when he held it to the torch, not taking his eyes off Lara in the meantime.

"This is dangerous." – she took the torch off the wall, holding it high to look around. The yellowish light of the fire gave them a much better look than the concentrated spot of the flashlight.

"Why do you think you are the only one to handle danger?" – Kurtis followed her down the corridor, watching Lara carefully check every corner. If they had not been in a forgotten, ancient Egyptian tomb, it actually could have been a nice evening walk.

"You don't understand this." – her voice was resolute, she managed to keep it from shaking. It was not the time to allow herself to show emotions. All those years had made her tough, but not cold. All those feelings she did not want to feel were burning her from inside. Despair, loneliness, fear, helplessness, agony of loss. _I do not find my place_… she remembered the first sentence she had written just a few hours ago. Maybe this was her place. Dark tombs, far away from everyone else, who could get hurt by her actions. By all those happenings she could not control. That haunted her, stealing away those she had loved. Death was pursuing her and its cruel hands grabbed away those who stayed behind. The beloved ones.

"Then explain it to me." – his voice dragged her out of her misery. "Lara!" – Kurtis stopped behind her, fixing his gaze on her. She could feel in even without looking back. "I'm trying to help you if you let me."

"No one can help me." – she whispered and continued her way without saying anything else.

What had happened to her, Kurtis was asking himself. Why was she so hurt? He could literally feel her pain. Lara was the same as before when they had first met, but so different at the same time. She looked exactly the same, tempting, breathtaking, but there was this incredible sadness in her eyes and he wanted to know the reason for it. He wanted to soothe her pain and chase it far away. To see that smile on her lips again.

At least it was a step forward that she did not try to send him away anymore. Looked like she silently accepted the situation. Kurtis still had the impression that there was more behind this, there was a reason why he got involved. There was no such thing as coincidence.

He followed the distant light of the torch, and looked around amazed when he found Lara standing in the door of a square room. She lit another torch on the wall, then another one and another one as she walked around.

"Great. A puzzle." – she stopped beside him again, looking at the single, thin column rising out of the floor in the middle of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

The room appearing in front of them was not very big or high. All along its walls torches were fixed that were now flickering happily, giving the place a warm, cozy atmosphere. It was almost empty, except that thin, more or less two meters high column in the middle. On the floor Kurtis could make out a smaller square area that was covered with tiny holes. He did not like the expression on Lara's face.

Lara put the torch down to the floor and carefully stepped closer to the area in the middle.

"What do you mean with puzzle?" – Kurtis asked cautiously, venturing a bit closer.

"What I said, a puzzle. You know… for solving." – Lara was already concentrating on the column standing in front of her. Carefully stepping closer, she placed a foot over the area with the holes and quickly pulled it back again. But nothing happened as she would have expected. No pikes were launched, no darts tried to pierce through her. "Okay." – she decided. "We're safe for the moment."

"What are you doing?" - Kurtis watched her examine the column and finally Lara found the thin rope hanging out of it. She curiously took it in her hands, and pulled on it lightly, being prepared to jump away if anything happened. Kurtis jumped back at the sounds, but the only thing happening was another column rising out of the floor in the corner of the area. Lara raised a brow. The same kind of rope was hanging out of it. When Lara let go of the rope she was holding, the column disappeared in the floor again.

"I need you to help me." – Lara turned to Kurtis, with a little worry on her face. She did not plan to involve him when it was unsure what would happen, but she had no other choice. "When the column raises again, pull the rope. I can't reach it from here."

"Is this some kind of a game?" – he was wondering when a third column raised out when he pulled on the rope, but it immediately went back again when Lara released hers.

"Let's start again." – she frowned, then pulled the rope out longer and went over to the third column with it. As she went around it, a fourth one appeared in the opposite corner. "I guess it's your turn." – she looked at Kurtis, who shrugged and pulled his rope to the other corner. In a few minutes the place looked like a huge mess of spider-webs, the ropes criss-crossing between the rising columns like a total chaos. And the game was not over yet.

"You need to climb over there" – Lara showed at the newest column, which she could hardly see anymore. It was getting harder and harder to move around. Kurtis climbed over, concentrating on not letting the rope go. When he got close to her, he stopped for a moment.

"Do you always do this?" – he looked at her and Lara lowered her gaze. Those blue eyes were too much to bear at the moment. They looked at her so warmly and tenderly that his stare made her go weak.

"That's how tombs usually are." – she answered turning away as much as she could before it was too late. Feeling that he had not meant this, she wanted to get away, hide behind the safe mask of reticence.

"I don't mean the tombs." – he leaned closer, brushing his thumb across her cheek, making her swallow in confusion. How could it be that this tough woman became so tense and scared from just one stroke of his hand?

"You need to keep moving before the column disappears again." – she changed the topic, nodding towards the pillar about a meter away from them. Kurtis let his hand down, feeling that she was not ready yet. Not ready to show and accept her emotions. Slowly moving on, he fixed the rope again, hearing another column rising just beside this one. Fine, he thought, leaning against it.

When Lara realized it, their eyes met. Brown met blue, sending quivers down her spine. It had to be done. She ducked, squeezed herself through between two pillars, fought her way through, stepped over the mess of ropes, almost falling at the end. But a strong hand kept her and she found herself facing him again. Why did he have to look at her like this? Why did he have to make her feel all those things that scared her?

"I meant if you always hide your emotions so well?" – he continued as if there had been no break in their conversation at all. Kurtis stepped closer, still holding the rope tightly in his hand. Having her so close changed everything, stirred up everything in him. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, he only wanted to help her smile again, the fatal attraction he felt could not be denied.

"I don't want to talk about that." – Lara tried to pull away, but there was no place to go. The column was right behind her back, and for a moment she forgot about the puzzle. He confused her, more than anything. Fighting back those fluttery feelings was harder than she thought.

"One day you will have to." – he leaned closer, very close actually. His gaze burnt her, his lips almost brushed her skin, his breath hot against her face. No, this could not be, she whispered, but no word left her mouth.

"You don't understand this." – finally she managed to squeeze the words out.

"You keep saying that, but you don't even try to explain." – his free hand run down her arm, just as it had in Paris. When his fingers found hers, he took the rope from her. Lara felt lost. Lost in his eyes, in his closeness, in his embrace as he slid his arm around her. The puzzle, the ropes, the columns, they all ceased to exist around her, no matter how much she tried to focus on them. All she could see was those incredibly blue eyes. It hurt her… suddenly one more emotion appeared next to those burning inside her. And this one made her feel guilty. A tiny little ray of happiness.

Lara did not notice when his hands met behind her back, closing her in a kind of embrace, building a knot on the two ends of the ropes, tying them together as firmly as he wanted to connect to her.

"I can't….you wouldn't… " – it did not make sense. She had to find back to reality.

"I think you did it." – his hand softly touched her cheek. "The door is open." – he smiled at her, pulling away slowly and Lara needed several seconds to understand his words.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go, another quote because I like them :) I guess Lara and fate are connected! Enjoy reading!**

**_"Every man has a million paths he could walk. Choosing the right one is hard, letting your feet carry you is destiny."_**

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><p>Lara was just standing there, leaning against the thin column, trying to collect herself. She hated it that he had such an effect on her. The worst timing ever. The worst place. Those feelings were fighting inside her even more than before. She did not want to feel anything for him, but it was too late. Probably it had been too late years ago. When she had first seen those eyes, felt his touch for the first time.<p>

And then he had been gone. Thought to be dead, just like all the others. Lara still could hardly believe that Kurtis was there with her….alive. For a short moment she had questioned her sanity when she had pulled that sack off his head. After all these years, she thought that it was over. She had gotten over it, moved on to live her life. But whenever she had felt stronger, something terrible had happened again and Lara was not sure how she would survive that once more.

She watched him walk towards the door that just opened at the other end of the small room. It was not more than a small, dark hole. Lara rubbed her face, took a deep breath and went after Kurtis. Picking another torch from the wall, she held it into the opening to light up the way.

"What do you think?" – Kurtis asked in a casual voice as if nothing had happened before. How could he not be confused? When he leaned closer to look into the hole, his scent filled her senses again, making it even worse.

"I don't know. I need to check it out." – the fact that he did not try to hold her back, to play the macho and try to keep her safe, surprised her.

"Be careful, please." – that was all he said before Lara climbed into the darkness. In front of her there was a tiny corridor. More like just a shaft. Sand between the stones, darkness all around. It was slightly sloping downwards. Not having any other choice, Lara started to crawl on all four. She threw the torch far ahead to show her the direction and used the flashlight to check the walls around her. If there was any trap, she would be lost. No way to avoid it.

"Can you see anything?" – his voice suddenly talked behind her and Lara started.

"God, Kurtis. Why did you come after me? I told you, I needed to check the place first." – there was some reproach in her voice.

"You didn't tell me to wait there if I remember well." – he answered lightly. Wasn't this just perfect? Being closed in with her for hours... just the two of them. He would find out what was hurting her, even if it was the last thing he did in his life. One thing was sure. He needed to keep her safe without her realizing it. As he was contemplating what he should do next, he could not miss to see how awkward the situation was. They were crawling in a narrow passage and all he could see was her bottom. Not a bad view after all, he smiled a bit. Drop it, Kurtis, he ordered himself. The last thing she needed now was his stupid sexist thoughts. But he was a male after all, and no man with a bit of sanity could resist having such thoughts looking at her.

"Ohh please." – she sighed. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard." – but deep inside she did not mind it. Having him close calmed her and stirred her at the same time. The ideas popping in her head confused her. It was a good thing he could not read her mind or see her face now. One part of her wanted to lean on his strong shoulder, tell him everything she felt and cry till there were no more tears coming. Another part of her wanted to jump him and kiss him till he could not breathe anymore. And the third and strongest part of her just pushed all those feeling aside, burying them somewhere deep and kept the mask on her face that showed no emotions.

"Hey, I'm just here to help. You can't deny that I've helped a lot so far. What would you have don…."

"What was that?" – Lara interrupted him suddenly when she heard a faint click. She stopped so abruptly that Kurtis did not even notice it in time and almost bumped into her.

"What was what?" – he did not hear anything.

"Shhh!" – Lara hushed him impatiently. "Something's happening." – she whispered nervously. Kurtis could hear the tension in her voice vibrating, but there was utter silence all around them.

"I don't…"- then he felt it too. Another click and then some light rumble. "What the hell?" – they looked around frantically, but they came too far. There was no way they could reach the opening anymore. The rumble became stronger, as if the floor under them was shaking.

"God damn …iiiiiitt" – all Kurtis could hear was Lara's voice fading away and she was gone. The small light of the flashlight she was holding appeared sometimes, but where she was standing a moment ago, there was only a dark hole now.

"Lara!" – Kurtis cried out, but he could not grab her hand anymore. The rumbling went on and a second later he lost his balance as well and started to fall into the nothing.

Lara landed hard on her back with a huge growl. For a moment she was unable to move, feeling pain in her shoulder and everywhere else. In the dark it was impossible to see anything. The flashlight rolled further away from her, she could not reach it. Right in that second when she wanted to grasp it, Kurtis dropped next to her, cursing under his breath. He could not feel much better than her, it was only pure luck he had not fallen right on the top of her.

"You're okay?" – she heard his voice a second later. His voice was followed by his hand that touched her shoulder lightly. Despite the pain, his touch sent warm feelings through her. "You're hurt." – he pulled his hand back when he felt the warm moisture on her skin. Lara could hear him sit up. Reaching for the flashlight, he pointed it on her, looking at the injury on her shoulder. There was a cut, blood oozing out of it slowly.

"It's nothing." – Lara tried to turn away, but he did not let her. "Please don't care for me." – she whispered, lowering her head so that she did not have to look at him. For a moment she almost lost it, but she could not let him close. Having his hand on her arm was already close enough. It made her suffer, feel guilty and long for him at the same time.

"Let me… " – his voice was soft, tender, caring and she could not resist. No matter how much she tried, she could not move away. Lara craved for his touch, his fingers on her skin, his closeness. And feared losing him. More than she feared losing her own life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, I start to get used to it... a quote for the chapter :) Enjoy reading!**

**"_Sometimes, perhaps, we are allowed to get lost that we may find the right person to ask directions of._" ~Robert Brault**

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><p>When Kurtis touched her arm, Lara closed her eyes. All those emotions… she did not even know what she felt. When he cleaned the blood from her arm, she wanted to run. So she stirred and he sensed it. But his fingers were so gentle on her skin that she stayed put. Thank God for the darkness, she thought. When his touch carefully ran down her arm, she wanted more. A barely audible sigh left her lips and she prayed that he had not heard it. Something in her head was telling her, it did not matter anymore. It did not make sense trying to convince herself she did not feel anything for him. When Kurtis covered the cut with something soft and tied it around her arm, her muscles tensed. But it was not the pain that made her do so. She did not even realize the slight ache running down her arm. All she felt was his touch.<p>

"Better now?" – he asked softly, and Lara nodded without saying a word. Why did she feel safer sitting in a dark corridor of a lost tomb with him, than she had ever felt being alone anywhere else? "Please tell me." – he said as if sensing her swirling thoughts.

"I can't." – she whispered, grateful to fate for not letting him see her. It would have taken only a move for him to raise the light and look at her, but he did not do it. Maybe he knew that she needed to hide.

"Why not?" – when he said the words, Kurtis could feel that he had made a mistake. Her arm tensed under his fingers, but this time it was different. He did not try to hold her back when she pulled it away.

"I need to keep going. I'm running out of time." – she jabbered nervously and stood up. Taking the light out of his hand, she looked around. The bitter taste of disappointment filled him, but it made no sense to oppose now. She would get there, he thought. Sooner than Lara knew. So he let her go.

Lara did not get far anyway. She hardly took three steps when a room appeared in front of them. As soon as they walked in, a click could be heard and suddenly there was light. They both started, remembering well what had happened the last time they had heard such a click, but this time the floor did not collapse under them.

"What is this place?" – Kurtis asked in amazement. There was no real word to describe the room. Probably calling it a huge, strange chessboard would have been the closest to reality, but the two different colors on the floor did not follow the usual pattern. The tiles were just scattered all over without any noticeable logic. Lara stepped closer, Kurtis followed her. One more click and the door behind them crashed down with a huge bang.

"That's bloody fantastic." – Lara muttered under her breath. "There's no choice but to go on." – she did not like it, but they could not turn back. Rubbing her aching shoulder, she tried to examine the room. Without making a move. It all looked so harmless, peaceful. Too peaceful actually.

"Another puzzle, I guess." – Kurtis whispered behind her. He did not really know why, but the place felt creepy even without a reason.

"Yeah." – Lara answered without looking back at him. "Don't move."- there were holes all around the wall and the ceiling, which did not look very promising. "I guess we need to cross this somehow."

"I'm not a treasure hunter, but the different colors must mean something." – he suggested, but following her orders, did not move anywhere. Lara looked so concentrated, he did not want to disturb her. "Which color do we start with?"

"I don't know. There's only one way to find out." – Lara drew in a deep breath and moved her left foot forward. When she stepped on the tile with the lighter color in front of her, there was a click again.

"Is that a good click or a bad click?" – Kurtis asked looking around a bit frightened. There was no time for an answer. With one single jump, Lara hurled forward to the other tile with the darker color, grabbing Kurtis' hand in the meantime, pulling him with her. On the exact spot where Kurtis had been standing, a huge block crashed down.

"I guess this means a bad click." – he let out the air he was holding. The tile was fairly small, they could hardly stand on it both. Their bodies brushed as they were watching each other. Suddenly Kurtis saw something in the corner of his eyes. "Go!" – he pushed Lara forcefully to the next tile when he saw the dart coming. Their fingers stayed linked and she did not let go, pulling him with her in the very last moment. His body bumped against hers, and he swirled her around, stepping to the next tile. When he pulled her with him, the next dart whizzed behind them.

"Nice." – she smiled at him, forgetting where they were. It all felt like a slow, sensual dance they shared in a silent moment. They moved on, following the same rhythm they found, moving from tile to tile. Only the music was missing, but Lara could almost hear it in her head. Darts were flying around them, stones were crashing down from the ceiling, but they did not care. Kurtis held her gaze, his hand found its place on the small of her back again and again. A carnal waltz that followed secret, long forgotten steps in the sand.

Lara almost did not notice that they arrived to the other end of the room. Kurtis was still holding her close, his hand on her back. Why did she not care about all the danger lurking around? Lara felt safe and calm. Until he leaned in, and his lips touched hers. Then she did not feel calm anymore. Her senses were burning, her head went blank and all nerves in her body cried for more. His kiss was soft, smooth, promising more and she was lost for the millionth time. Her hands slipped around his neck, her body pushed against him and the emotionless mask fell off her face. God, she was waiting for this and feeling it was better than she had ever imagined. The simple comfort he had meant to offer turned into urgency. The need rising in her was so sweet, she wanted nothing more than to just fall into it. Suddenly she wished with all her heart they could be just two people drowning each other in this slow, endless kiss.

"I can't do this." – she pulled away abruptly, tears running down her cheeks.


	9. Chapter 9

**_"Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it." ~Vincent Van Gogh_**

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><p>"Look at me please" – this time Kurtis did not want to let go like he had at all those occasions before. Moving his finger under her chin, he raised her head to look into her eyes shining with unshed tears. Lara made an attempt to turn her head, but this time she did not manage. Her vision blurred, tears spilled over and ran down her face. "You need to tell me what's wrong." – he tried to encourage her softly, brushing some tears away with his thumb.<p>

"You can't help me." – she sobbed quietly, finally moving her stare away from the blue of his eyes.

"Please let me try." – he looked at her pleading, pulling her closer and Lara buried her face into his shoulder. She did not want him to see her cry. Those damn emotions. How could they be stronger than her? How could they defeat her like this? She found herself shaking her head slowly and stepping away from him again. It tore her apart to see that confusion in his eyes, but he had to understand. He had to grasp it that she was unable to go through this again. No matter what, Lara had to fight back those feelings and put that mask back on her face.

With the back of her hand, she brushed away the tears, taking a step back. It was harder than she thought, but it had to be. It had to be. It had to be, she kept saying it to herself. When his hands slid off her waist, it almost caused pain. His taste still lingered on her lips, her body was still crying for more. But in her head, wild thoughts were chasing each other. You must not, you must not.. they were shouting.

"Lara." – Kurtis reached out to her, but she recoiled further away.

"Can't you see? They killed him too…. I killed him." – she whispered desperately, turned on her heels and started to run down the corridor without looking back. The most irresponsible thing she had ever done, but she could not control it. Lara ran as fast as she could, trying to close out his voice calling after her. She did not want to hear his steps, his voice. Not caring about the directions, she turned left, then right, then ran forward. It was the silence that made her stop. Realizing it was not completely dark anymore, she slowed down. Panting heavily, she grasped that she had no idea where she was. In front of her and behind her the corridor looked the same. Thin, empty, desperate. The walls were about three meter high, but did not reach the ceiling. The sudden realization was striking her. She was alone.

Wasn't this what she wanted? To keep her distance, stay on the safe side and not feel anything for anyone? This way it was only her, who could get hurt and no one else. No one else that she loved. God, she buried her face in her hands and fell to her knees. The silence was driving her crazy.

"Lara?" – she heard his voice again from somewhere. It was echoing all over the place and it sent warm waves of relief through her. Why did she feel like this when she wanted to keep him away?

"Kurtis?" – she answered almost automatically. Her fists clenched while waiting to hear his voice again. Lara rose a bit, still uncertain what she should do.

"Where are you?" – his voice sounded worried and careful. Though he ran after her, his lost her from sight and then he found himself in a strange place. "Can you hear me?"

"I don't know where I am." – she stood up again, struggling to decide if she should go on or back to where she came from. There was a right-turn behind her, but Lara was in doubt if this was where she came from. Was it a maze she ran into? Suddenly she came to a halt, remembering how such mazes usually functioned. They were designed to swallow intruders, to keep them ambling around forever without ever finding the way out. And they were full of traps. "Kurtis!" – she raised her voice, anxiety in it. "Just stay where you are."

"I want to know" – he answered almost instantly. His voice came suddenly from the right. Or was it from the left? Lara took the right-turn and followed the empty corridor. She should have known right away that they would never get out of here alive. Imhotep was one of the biggest architects. "Who were you talking about?"

Lara frowned, regretting she had ever let the words slip out of her mouth. "It's not important. I should have never mentioned it." – her voice was low, Kurtis could hardly hear her. Where the hell could she be?, he though angrily. How could he let her run away? The kiss confused him almost as much as her. Not the fact that he wanted her, but the hot urgency to get more of it. And the way she answered to his touch. And the way the tears were running down her cheek. How could something like this make him so weak and want to sacrifice everything just to smooth her pain?

"Did you love him?" – he had to risk it, fearing to hear the answer. There were seconds gone… long, incredibly long seconds of silence. Would he be jealous of someone he did not even know? Who was gone and history? He stopped for a moment, listening to any noise that could tell him where she was.

"Alistair…." – there was a long pause after the name and he could imagine the tears she cried again. Lara was so different, he would have never imagine her having this soft, emotional side.

"Who is he?" – Kurtis asked as he was unable to bear the tension. He had to know if there was no chance for him.

"He is… he was... " – her voices trailed off again and her steps stopped. "I let him die."

There was vibrating silence again after the words reached him. God, how he would have loved to close her in his arms and dry her tears. Instead she was out there somewhere all alone, fighting against her pain and sadness. And who knows what else.

"Don't say that… just let me help you." – he could have given anything for finding her again. Why did they have to talk through walls when he should have been with her?

Lara kept walking although every step felt like pain. Not physically. Every word she said, made her suffer. And she still felt like she had to say them. When Kurtis could not see her, it was easier. "You don't know this. You were not there. I should have saved him. I should have…." – he could not hear the last words anymore, but he heard the click. That damn click.

Everything froze for an endless moment.


	10. Chapter 10

_**"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." – Alexander Graham Bell**_

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><p>Kurtis knew Lara was in trouble. He simply knew it. This damn click he feared so much. So far it had never meant anything good and he could feel it in his blood that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He listened for a while, then worry started to climb up his spine, sinking its cold, cruel claws into his nerves. There was no time to waste. He had to find her immediately.<p>

Lara froze for a moment when she heard the sound. In that endless moment millions of thoughts were swirling in her head. It was not the possibility that she could die that scared her. The realization that she wanted to tell him about her feelings and she would have no chance for that anymore.

"Lara!" – she heard his voice again, but she had no time to react. Darts were flying towards her from the walls and Lara started to run for her life. One after the other they shot out, the whistling sounds filled the air and there was no way to tell anymore where exactly they were coming from. Lara had no idea where she was heading, she just ran as fast as she could. One dart whizzed right next to her arm, almost cutting her skin. When she saw the corridor bend, she hurled forward and landed hard on the floor. For one moment she let out the breath she was unconsciously holding, but it was not over. Instead of darts, fire shot out of the walls of the next corridor she arrived to. The yellow light of the fire blinded her for a second, she snatched her arms in front of her face to keep the heat away.

"Don't… " – she shouted as loud as she could. "Don't try to save me…" – Lara waited a moment then she ran again. Though she had never believed in God, she found herself praying. Not for herself, but for Kurtis to get out safely. Deep inside, she knew that he would not leave her. Please try to get out, she muttered under her breath.

"Where are you?" – his voice filled her mind, giving her hope and fear at the same time. How she wished she could have turned back time just a little. To be back in his arms, to feel his lips on hers that made her senses burn with greedy need. Just for a second. These damn seconds. She hated herself for feeling that way again. The same way she had felt thinking of Alistair. It had been only a second needed, but she was not fast enough, not good enough… simply not there to save him. She did not want to feel that again. Never again.

"Please get out of here!" – she shouted desperately, trying to avoid the deadly flames at the same time. Feeling the heat against her arms, she had one thing on her mind. She wanted him to be safe. No matter that it was her in deadly danger.

"I won't leave you here." – Kurtis started to sprint in the direction where her voice was coming from, but he ran into a dead-end. "Damnit" – he cursed angrily. Turning around, he kept listening to those frightening noises that sent nasty shots of panic right into his stomach. Not willing to distract her attention, he did not even dare to call after her anymore. Then he saw the light of the fire somewhere over the walls. Shiver ran down his spine. Cursing and praying, he raced down that damn corridor. It was driving him mad. Having her so close and so far at the same time. Without knowing what he was doing, he ran.

Seeing the end of the corridor in front of her, Lara hurled forward. She felt her whole body shake and she had never felt this before. It was not fear. It was worse than fear. The blade that flung out of the wall almost hit her. She flattened to the floor, still feeling the whizzing air at the back of her neck. Rolling over, she tried to get away from the deadly metal, but then the next one was coming. She fought her way through, seeing his face in front of her. One blade after the other, one meter after the other. Sweat appeared on her forehead, her clothes were covered by sand and she had no idea if she ever got out of there. If she ever had the chance to tell him.

The warm wave of relief filled her again when she spotted the end of the corridor and she felt she would be safe there. She could not explain why, but she knew it. Concentrating on nothing else but getting there unharmed, she jumped, ran, ducked, pulled her head back when the last blade almost cut her.

A drop of sweat ran down her face and she was standing there, having survived all the deadly traps. Her chest heaved heavily and she closed her eyes for a moment. Just to hear that one damn click again she was not expecting, and she was sure she had made a huge mistake thinking it was over.

When her eyes opened, she glimpsed the heavy blade jumping out of the wall right in front of her. It was all just a fraction of a second, but she could see it as if time had stopped. The light of the fire glinting on the metal, the sweat dropping down in front of her eyes and she prepared for the pain. She was simply unable to move, even stir.

It was him she saw in front of her, his figure jumping towards her and it took her another endless moment to realize that it was really happening. The blade whizzed, cutting into the empty air exactly where she had been standing just a second ago. His body covered hers, his weight pushed her down and they were lying on the floor in the sand.

Lara looked up and their eyes met. Kurtis did not move away, he kept her body under his and their bodies pressed against each other as two halves that had been never parted.

"God, I thought I'd lost you." – he whispered, not being able to move his stare away from her. Her body was slightly moving under his as she breathed in, he felt her belly quiver.

"I'm so sorry." – she whispered in return, trying to grasp that he had saved her.

"Don't say that. Whatever happened in the past, I'm sure it was not your fault. You would never let anyone down. I know that." – his gaze scanned her sweet face, his hand roamed up her arm, gently touching the bandage on her shoulder. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this." – his finger touched her cheek, the arch of her eyebrows, then finally traced those gorgeous lips.

"I never wanted to…" – but he did not let her talk. Not this time. Putting his index finger on her lips, he hushed her. No words would stand between them this time. No shadows of the past.

"You're such a pretty mess." – he crooned, devouring her with his eyes and this time Lara did not want to run. Not anymore. Her lips parted and Kurtis took the chance, slowly tasting her. The hazel eyes closed and she let it happen. No need for hiding anymore. Her need met his, the sweet urgency met surrender and they drowned in that breathtaking kiss they were both craving.


	11. Chapter 11

**_"Greed, like the love of comfort, is a kind of fear."_ – Cyrill Connolly**

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><p>If, twenty-four hours ago, anyone had told Lara that she would find herself in Kurtis Trent's arms, she would have laughed about it. Not that twenty-four hours ago she had felt like laughing at all. She did not feel like laughing at that moment either. Emotions she wanted to hide so much flooded her, but she did not want to fight against them anymore. All she wanted was to feel him close.<p>

His lips gently took hers, and the sensation of it ran through her. Feeling helpless to resist, she opened up to him, letting him demolish the walls of reticence she had build up around her. They all crashed down and Lara felt as vulnerable as ever before.

The kiss deepened and her blood was simmering right under her skin. Lips met lips, flesh met flesh and their tongues were mating with every slow, gentle thrust.

"I'm so afraid of you." – she whispered when his lips let go of hers. God, how she loved every little thing he did to her. That bold feeling that swept through her, pounding in her like an impatient beast ready to break free.

"No, it's not me you're afraid of." – his mouth stayed gentle, waiting for hers to answer. "It's you." – when he said those words, Lara realized he was right. He looked at her with such endless patience that Lara was unable to move her stare away from the blue eyes.

"I can't lose you again." – she said, not trying to hide her feelings anymore. They pushed to the surface when Kurtis had touched her so tenderly and there was no way to fight them back anymore.

"You won't." – he slowly brushed a curl of hair out of her face, scanning her features again and again. Even if his body still covered her, she did not feel the weight of him. They simply melted together. "I won't hurt you." – he whispered.

She was unlike anybody he had ever met in his life. Right at the first time he had known she was different. Amazing. Not being able to get enough of her, he lowered his mouth to hers, took the kiss deep, gradually deep, so that the warmth of it flushed over her, smoothing her fears and the quiver of her body. It was this yielding he wanted ever since he had spotted that sadness in her eyes. Now he knew it was the loss that put it there and he would be able to chase it away and get the smile back on her face as he had planned. It was beautiful how her gorgeous lips curved into a smile and he wanted to see it again.

"Again. Please." – she murmured softly when he pulled away. "I want to feel you again." – and he gave more to her. More of that rough, edgy sensation that layered in her with every little touch. She sighed when his lips touched her. A sigh of relief and pleasure she had not felt for ages. Her breath caught when his hands slid down her arm, roaming on her as they felt like. They almost did not hear the click that came from somewhere close to their ears.

...

...

"How much time is left?" – Wellington asked, sitting lazily in the wide chair under the shadow of the tent. He was sipping a cold drink, but still little pearls of sweat appeared on his forehead. The sun wandered high on the clear blue sky, the striking white light almost melting everything. When he moved his gaze over to the far horizon, the sand looked like it was steaming.

"Eleven hours and twenty-five minutes." – the scarred-faced man looked at his watch. He was standing at the other side of the tent, rigid like a statue ever since Lara Croft disappeared in that hole. He moved his stare over there, but could only see a dark spot. Would she ever get out of there again? Alive? He opened his mouth to talk, but changed his mind before any word left his lips.

Wellington stood up, and started to walk up and down, taking care not to leave the shadow of the tent. Patience was not his virtue. Wiping off the sweat, he stopped and stared at the man standing in front of him. His eyes ran over the scar on his face, his cold look made him shiver, even despite the heat.

"Did you make sure Lady Croft understands the situation?" – he asked in an impatient tone.

"Of course." – he answered without taking his eyes off Wellington. He knew there was no trust between them.

"I knew she would be the right one." – he eagerly rubbed his hands together. A move of pure greed.

"Why did you choose her?" – he could not resist asking the question. When he had first seen her, he could see a sad, reserved woman. He could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. On the way here he had found out that she was tough indeed.

"Because I knew she would be the only one who could get the book out of there." – Wellington sat back on the chair. A strange smile appeared on his face as if he was still hiding something. The longer the man looked at him, the more certain he was that something was kept hidden from him.

"You know what's in there, don't you?" – he asked without moving even an inch.

Wellington raised his head, looking at him with his small pig-eyes. The satisfied smile got even brighter and he eased back on the chair.

"Would this change anything if I tell you?" – he obviously enjoyed the situation. He had been waiting for this chance for years and he would not let it go this time. Lara Croft was his ticket to power, to wisdom, to long forgotten secrets. The other man was only staring back at him with the same expression. "On the other hand, why not?" – he laughed a little, his fat stomach shaking.

When he saw that the other was not stirring, he tilted his head a bit. Money, he thought. You could buy everything with money. Even these guys who thought of themselves to be really tough.

"I give you a little hint so that you have something to think about while you stand there." – he talked in a disdainful, derogatory voice. "That book…. It's very well protected. Let's say Lara Croft will need all her talent to get to it. I really hope that she will. It would be a shame for that old man to die." – he laughed out coldly, his voice slowly dying away in the silence.

The scarred man swallowed, but no one would have noticed.


	12. Chapter 12

**_"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart."_**

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><p>They both turned their heads to the direction where the little noise came from almost at the same time, but this time there was no danger coming. A big tile stirred, rising a bit out of the floor. They could not see yet what was hiding under it, but it was definitely the next step they need to follow.<p>

"I guess we need to keep moving." – Kurtis smiled at her, watching her with so much warmth that Lara wanted nothing else but to get lost in him. She had to force herself to recall that fat guy outside who threatened her friends, of the man with the mask who brought her here.

"Yeah." – she nodded, her voice low and throaty. It was painful to let him go, but it was a different kind of pain. More of a hunger not quite sated. She moaned inwardly, no sound leaving her lips when his mouth moved away from her, when his hands left her skin, when his body parted from hers.

"What do you need to find for this guy?" – Kurtis reached out, offering a hand to pull her to her feet again. Lara grabbed it.

"He said that the golden book of Egypt would be in here. This is supposed to be the lost tomb of Imhotep. And I start to believe it really is." – she explained, looking around in the little area they arrived to. Only now she realized it was the center of the maze. Just a small square room with empty grey walls all around. Lara leaned down, sweeping away the sand from the tile that moved out from the floor.

"Maybe this will help." – Kurtis turned on the flashlight that stayed in his hand when Lara had run away from him earlier. Squatting down next to hear, he helped her clean the sand away, but there was absolutely nothing on the tile in front of them. Kurtis looked up at her, shrugging his shoulder. "I guess that's the only left."

Grabbing the stone, they pulled it and with great difficulty moved it to the side. Kurtis pointed the flashlight at the dark hole and could see the bottom not far below them. "Do you think it's a trap?" – he asked wearily.

"I don't know." – Lara whispered. "I'll go and check it. You wait here." – but Kurtis grabbed her hand.

"Don't do this. We're in this together." – again that look in his eyes that made her weak in the knee. Why could she not say no to him although everything in her protested against letting him come with her? "Let me be with you."

He waited. Patiently. He did not force the answer out of her, he did not try to push her. Letting her fight with her own emotions, accept the feeling of letting someone close to her was the best he could do at the moment. Lara closed her eyes for a moment, and Kurtis could see, almost feel the battle inside her.

"Okay." – she said quietly. Without any further comment, or even looking at him, Lara jumped down into the hole. A small, satisfied smile appeared on Kurtis' face before he followed her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" – he asked, walking a few steps behind her while they followed the corridor that looked exactly like the ones at the beginning of the tomb. Empty walls covered with stones, sand on the floor.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." – her answer was quiet, but in the silence Kurtis could hear the sadness in it very well.

"Did you love him?" – he repeated the earlier question he had not got an answer to. Kurtis was not sure he wanted to hear the answer, but he had to. The way she had kissed him before told him that Lara felt something for him.

"That's not as easy as you think." – she stopped and Kurtis did the same. He did not want to go closer this time.

"Tell me what happened. Please." – his voice sounded soft, understanding and Lara closed her eyes again. She did not want to talk about Alistair, but it was killing her from inside. No matter how she tried to convince herself that it was not her fault. How could it not be her fault? She craved hearing the words from Kurtis' mouth. The words that could bring her relief, even if just for a little while.

When she closed her eyes she could still see him standing there. On the other side of the glass wall. And between them it had been her standing… her reflection, her dark side. Those sparkling eyes, that evil look, the words she had told her later. Flaws, compassion, neither of them their own masters.

"I was hesitating. That's what killed him." – she confessed, maybe for the first time saying these words aloud. And a part of me, she added inwardly.

Why did she avoid the answer? Kurtis got more and more anxious about this. "I need to know." – he whispered softly.

"If I loved him? Of course I loved him." – she said without turning back. Her voice trailed off, and she slowly fell to her knees. Even if he could not see her, Kurtis was sure there were tears rolling down her face again. It was the hardest thing ever, but he did not run to her. He let her talk. "He was…. I wanted to save him, but she was too fast, too strong. I couldn't get there in time. I couldn't…" – she was not crying as he expected. Sad, lonely tears were running down her cheek. "He didn't deserve this… he was my friend… my friend." – she repeated and the word floated in the air as a redemption for them both.

Kurtis hated himself for the relief he felt. He could not help to feel happy about what he had heard. A friend, not a lover. Slowly, he moved closer to her.

When he touched her shoulder, Lara started lightly, but did not pull away. He knelt in front of her, gently brushing the tears from her face. "Please don't cry." – he whispered.

"Can't you see? I lost so many of them… I can't get through this again. I fear that more than anything else. And there you are… I lost you once, and there you are again." – she looked at him incredulously. There was fear, doubt, question on her face.

"I'm so sorry." – he cupped her face with one hand, gently stroking her skin as if not being able to get enough of her. "You have to know, I've never stopped thinking of you. It was your face I'd seen in front of me every night." – he inched closer, kissing away a tear from her cheek. He tasted the salty moisture on her skin, gently moving his lips further down. Slowly, softly gliding down to the corner of her mouth. "I want you to smile again and I want to be the reason for it." – his lips lightly stroked hers, until they parted under his touch. The kiss stayed calm, just the lightest of tasting and Lara moaned against his mouth. She loved the way he could calm her or arouse her with the same kind of touch. She yearned for him, for the feeling of relief he brought her. "Come on. Let's find that damn book." – he whispered in her ear and pulled her up from the floor.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey folks! Sorry for the absence, but I wasn't home last week. When I thought I would have time to write, I was seriously wrong! So no quote today, but I hope you'll enjoy the chapter anyway. Have fun and review as always if you feel like!**

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><p>The corridor went deeper down, into the darkness, but Lara did not mind it. She had a lot to think about. What she felt was totally new to her. She had never opened up so much to anyone. Even after Alistair's death, she had rather avoided Zip and Winston so that she had not had to let them in. Lara had known that Zip had been worried. She had been able to see it in his brown eyes every time he had looked at her. The question had been always there. Had she been okay? Had there been anything they could have done for her? No, probably not. It had been just too much to bear.<p>

And hardly a few hours later, she was walking down a corridor of a tomb, Kurtis ambling in front of her. The one man, she had never imagined to see again. Not in this life. The feelings he had awakened in her still scared her a little bit. Lara could not even remember when she had ever talked about her emotions. Burying them deep, hiding behind the mask was simply much more convenient than revealing her true face. Had it been a mistake?

She felt relieved. Lighter than ever before. As if a huge boulder had rolled off her chest and she was finally free to breath. Free to let go. Of course that did not mean that she would forget about him. Alistair would always be a part of her, but she needed to accept that he would not return. Kurtis did.

She watched his figure as he was walking in front of her, a torch in his left hand. Ever since that kiss he had not asked anything anymore. That kiss. Who had ever kissed her like this before? With so much warmth and acceptance. She could not remember. Her senses were still prickling with heat, she still felt his touch on her body. Would it be that simple? Could she just let herself fall for it? Yes, she was falling. Falling hard.

Her boots made no noise on the sandy floor when she walked after him in the utter silence. Somehow she did not feel like talking. Savouring this cuddling stillness, the warming relief was exactly what she needed. And his arms around her, and his lips on hers… oh come on, she ordered herself to other thoughts. A faint smile appeared on her face at the idea. How fast things changed.

She had to concentrate on the book, she reminded herself, but it was hard. The swirling thoughts and feelings did not let her. Lara stopped for a moment, and Kurtis turned back when he realized she was staying behind.

"What's wrong?" – he asked, holding the torch a bit higher to see her shape. She was standing there, the warm flames throwing flickering shadows on her body. Kurtis was wondering for a while how he had been able to stay away from her so long. No matter that they were in this tomb, she was beautiful. The sadness in her eyes could not be seen so much anymore. Maybe only a few more hours were needed to get her out of her misery.

"Nothing." – she replied finally. "I was just…. never mind." – she waved a hand.

Kurtis walked back a few steps until he could clearly see her face in the yellow light. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" – he held his gaze on her, watching her squeeze her lips together. "Come on." – he reached out, offering a hand.

"I need to find it." – she whispered, slowly grabbing his hand, letting him pull her closer. "You know I can't lose them."

"You won't lose them, I promise." – his voice sounded so calming, so determined, his words to true, his embrace so warm. His hand never let go of hers, moving it slowly behind her back when her body brushed against his. "We'll find it together." – he whispered, breathing a light kiss on her forehead. _And your peace of mind_, he added inwardly. He had to hold her a bit, he could not let go. Burying his face into her hair, he breathed in her scent that filled him like a sweet escape from reality. As if it was what he had always been looking for. Only a little bit more time, he repeated. That was all he needed. And Lara as well.

"How could I concentrate when you confuse me so much?" – Lara hardly believed she had said it out loud. When he held her, simply all her inhibitions were gone, demolished as if they had never existed.

"Don't fight against it." – he muttered against her skin. "That's all you need to do."

"I'm not sure I can." – her voice was soft, hardly to be heard, but her body was warm against his, slotting perfectly into his. How he wanted to just hold her like this forever. Until they both accepted the inevitable.

"You can." – he pulled back a bit, looking straight into her eyes. He felt her shiver in anticipation.

"Please don't kiss me." – she whispered, her voice completely contradicting her request. Kurtis could not stand a smile. It would have been so easy to take whatever he longed for, but he wanted her to give it to him. Only a little bit more time. Just a little bit.

"Feelings are complicated, Lara." – he caressed her face, complying with her desperate request not to kiss her. "But you can't close them out of your life. And they're not so bad after all." – he offered her a slow half-smile, then stepped away, instantly missing the lack of physical contact. Soon, he reminded himself, and started down the corridor leaving her there.

When Lara followed him, she found Kurtis standing in a huge room that she could not even describe. Huge stones were lying in front of them, building a kind of platform like a small pyramid, but the structure was surrounded with a wide pit filled with some nasty looking black liquid. At the top of it something was shining.

Lara looked around a bit lost, and then she glimpsed the two levers on the walls on both sides of the door they had come in.

"Would it be that easy?" – she mused aloud, stepping closer to one lever. "You need to help me!" – she called out to Kurtis, who understood right away what she meant. They worked together, and Lara tried to forget about the danger. She had to accept that she could not control fate.

When they pulled the levers, Lara spun around, but she needed several minutes to realize what had happened. There was no noise, no click, no sign. The only change was that a small tile raised out of the black liquid, in the middle of it a golden key.

"That's great." – she stood at the edge of the floor where the pit started. The key was about one and a half meters away from them, and something told Lara that it would not have been smart to get in touch with the liquid. "How the hell do we get that out of there?" – she muttered, looking for something to reach the key with when Kurtis grabbed her hand.

Lara started, looking up in his blue eyes that held her gaze steadily.

"Do you trust me?" – he asked with determination in his voice.


	14. Chapter 14

**I guess it's time for me to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys really keep me going! MANY THANKS! I think those who write themselves, know how important reviews are to a writer. Those who only read, should just believe us! So enjoy the story and don't forget to review!**

**Let's Kurtis do the impossible!**

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><p>"What do you mean?" – she looked at him a bit worried. Lara had never trusted anyone but herself. Of course she had counted on Alistair and Zip, but that had been different.<p>

"I asked if you trusted me." – Kurtis stepped closer to the edge of the floor and Lara frowned at him. There were only maybe three more steps to go before she would fall into the black liquid. He held her wrist, his fingers clutching it strongly. The seconds till her lips opened to talk seemed like eternity. They parted slowly, Kurtis could see those painful insecurities in her eyes. A small gasp left her lips before any words could be formed.

"I guess." – she whispered eventually.

"That's not good enough." – he looked at her so fixedly. Kurtis needed to hear the answer. Needed to know if she finally let those walls crumble down and let him in, close to her heart. "Tell me you trusted me not to hurt you. Say the words." – he craved for hearing them, craved for those lips to say them. He took one more step.

Lara glanced behind her, unsure about what to do next. The unknown scared her, letting the control out of her hands. It had always been her taking the risk, being responsible for her actions. For Alistair's death. She closed her eyes for a moment, seeing his face in front of her. Was it time to let go? To take a daring step and let fate decide what would happen? To let Kurtis in and trust him with her life? Yes, a little voice answered in her head and this time Lara wanted to listen to it. For the first time she wanted to let someone else act for her. So she nodded, fixing her hazel glance on his blue eyes.

"No." – he shook his head slowly, the word no more than a whisper. "Say it. Say the words."

Lara bit her lower lip, fighting back the urge to scream. The last barrier between them and he gently forced it out of her. No push, no violence. Only a silent plead that meant more for her than anything else in her life before. His glance sent shivers down her spine that turned into warm, fluttery feelings she had not felt for ages. Or maybe ever.

"I do trust you." – she whispered softly but very clearly, not taking her eyes off him. She felt the connection between them, somewhere deep inside, not even realizing the next step he took towards her.

Her words brought a faint smile to his face, the blue eyes glistened with satisfaction. It was time, he thought. Acceptance, surrender, welcome. It was done. The smile he had been longing to see so much would return. He knew it. The tears would disappear and Lara would be free of the pain that would have killed her slowly. Killed that adventurous mind, that tough woman he loved. He took one more step.

"Close your eyes, keep your feet on the ground and let me help you." – he whispered, planting his feet next to hers. His hand still held her wrist tightly, they were standing right at the edge. "Close your eyes" – he repeated, waiting for her to do so. She obeyed. She gave herself to him, accepting whatever he planned to do with her. Without knowing what it was. "Trust me." – he whispered against her skin, his face so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath. The touch turned into gentle kisses running down her jawline and Lara sighed, giving herself over to it.

She was falling. Falling into that delicious surrender without any fear. Suddenly all her worries were gone, and she felt light as never before, welcoming the feeling. They stayed connected, Kurtis never letting her wrist go as he had promised. Instinctively she knew when it was time. When Lara opened her eyes, she was lying in the air. There was no better word for it. Her feet still on the floor at the edge, she was hanging above the black liquid, Kurtis holding her hand tightly to keep her from falling in there. The tile with the key on it was swimming on the surface just a few centimeters away from her. Her lips curved into a delighted smile.

For a moment she did not move, enjoying the sensation of relying completely on someone else for the first time in her life. It was not a strange feeling after all. Not with him. She reached out, her pony tail almost touching the pitch black fluid. The temptation to dip her fingers in there, to see if it was dangerous, was strong, but then she resisted. Even from so close she was unable to tell how deep it was. The idea amused her that it could have been only a few centimeters.

As soon as she grabbed the key, Kurtis pulled her back. She landed right in his arms by the momentum and did not mind it.

"You see… it's that easy." – he smiled at her warmly, the smile turning into a grin when he saw that naughty glint in her eyes.

"Yes, it is…" – Lara's hand ran up his chest, her arm looping around his neck. "I think I owe you one." – her voice sounded husky, excited. Standing at the edge of the pit, only one step away from falling added to the unusual sensation that his hand on her awakened.

"I'm generous. You can pay me later." – he joked, pulling her closer. This was exactly what he had been waiting for. Could it be that only a few hours had been needed to turn that endless sadness in her eyes into this naughty glint? He wanted to taste her so badly. Again and again, not wanting it to end. To make her crazy and reckless, to deprive her of all willpower. Would it stay the same after they get out of here? Just one last kiss…

He took her lips, first gently then more passionate. A silent invitation to pleasure. It was her taking things further, tilting her head, parting her lips on his. His hand cupped her face, just like it had before, but this time it was all different. There was nothing sweet about it. Only pure want. Lazy, seductive, mind-blowing. Every thrust of her tongue lit fire in him, every stroke of her lips washed away a piece of his sanity.

It would have been easy to take her and everything in him cried for it, but he had to end it there. There was something he needed to tell her and it was time for it. So he kissed her even deeper before it was all over. Before he would bring her out of there….back to where they belonged.


	15. Chapter 15

**I was thinking a lot about this ending, but I liked the idea. So I'm really curious what you think... So please let me know if you like it or hate it :) There is very little left to go...**

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><p>A last stroke, a last breath, a last little taste of her. Then Kurtis shut his eyes and released the thought, sending it straight into her brain. He feared what would happen, but there was no other way. Even though he wanted it, they could not stay in there forever, enjoying this warm, carnal embrace they were sharing. He could only hope she would forgive him and understand the reason behind his actions. His hands ran down her body, just for a last touch, a last memory of her…<p>

Lara felt his lips on hers when she closed her eyes and the walls of the tomb disappeared from her sight. It was all dark and Kurtis was the only thing she sensed. His touch, his lips, his caresses. The edgy sensation that ran through her, making her knees weak. Like falling and still feeling so endlessly safe.

When she opened her eyes again, his blue ones were all she could see in front of her. But something had changed. His lips still touched hers, but something was wrong. Lara frowned, slowly moving her gaze away from him. The sand was gone, the walls of the tomb disappeared, the key in her hands was nowhere. She was lying on something soft, and Lara needed a long minute to realize that it was her own bed. Not understanding anything, she bolted upright, pushing Kurtis away from her.

"What the hell….?" – she had no idea what she wanted to ask. It was simply maddening that one minute she was standing in a tomb, and the next she was sleeping in her bed. Had she lost her mind? What was going on here? Blinking, she rubbed her face, but the view did not change. It was all calm, silent, very familiar. How she got there she had no idea.

"Lara." – she heard his tranquil voice, but did not react on it. The stunned expression on her face changed into confusion. Her eyes were holding a dangerous question when she turned to him. "I know you don't understand it, but let me explain." – he started, sitting back on the chair that was standing at the side of her bed. He seemed to feel comfortable on it.

"How..?.. was it you?" – she blurted out, shock on her face. Her chest was heaving as if having woken up from a nightmare. Except it had been no nightmare at all. All she wanted was to get back there, back in his arms, away from reality. Was this reality at all? She felt all mixed-up.

"Yes." – he admitted. "I was doing this to you."

"How dare you?" – the confusion turned into anger, her brown eyes were glistening with rage. Even if she had no idea what had happened, she hated the feeling that someone else was controlling her. Guiding her steps, influencing her will, driving her out of her own self. Had that all happen? Would he remember all what she had told him? Had it been a dream? Her own dream? How did it feel so damn real? Thousands of questions were swirling in her mind, anger and embarrassment trying to decide which one of them was stronger.

She jumped off the bed, taking care to go to the other direction. Not where Kurtis was sitting. She backed away as if seeing a ghost.

"Lara. Wait!" – he stood up, reaching out for her, but Lara did not care. Shaking her head in disbelief, she tore the door open and ran as fast as she could. Along the corridors of the manor, down the stairs, without knowing where she was heading. She just wanted to be away from him. Wanted to get that infuriating, annoying pleasure out of her head that thinking of him caused.

When she heard his steps behind her, she ran even faster. The sound of her heavy boots echoed in the empty corridor leading to the gym. She almost reached the door when he grabbed her arm, stopping her instantly.

Her angry eyes glinted, starring daggers at him, but he had to take the risk. "Leave me alone." – she hissed, trying to free her arm from his grip.

"Please, listen to me." – he pleaded, those deep blue eyes fixed on her.

"How could you…?" – Lara forgot about everything else. How he was alive, what he was doing in her home. Confusion ruled her mind, shutting out all clear thoughts. She tugged her arm, but he did not let go.

"Let me explain." – he held her close, too close. The uncontrollable attraction she felt scared her.

"Explain what? That you messed with my mind?" – she wanted him to go, just away from her. Even if only a centimeter, but she needed distance. Feeling him so close that they could easily share a breath was intoxicating. Lara wanted to break free, to run.

"I had no choice. You have to believe me." – he whispered, leaning in, breathing in her sweet scent. God, how much he wished for being back in that tomb where she had given herself to her real feelings. Lara had to know that it had been all real in that sense. Everything she had said or felt was real.

"You used me…" – she hardly found the words when he pushed her gently against the wall. His grip loosened on her arm, his hand slid down and Lara closed her eyes for a moment trying to get rid of that uninvited sensation his touch triggered in her. How could it feel so real, just like in there? Better to say, how could it have felt so real in there, just like now when he laid his hand on her?

"You said you trusted me." – he reminded her, his mouth caressing her neck. It was almost painful to fight back the little, delightful moan that was threatening to leave her lips. Why was she so undone under his spell? For a moment Lara was lost in him again, unable to resist him until she grasped his words.

"Those were your words." – she pushed him away. "I've never said that. It was you, you put them into my mouth." – her voice was harsh, full of accusation, her body stiffened. "Just let me go." – she used the chance to get away, leaving the stunned Kurtis behind. No, no, everything screamed in her, not knowing what to believe. And she hated herself for wanting him. Wanting him bad. Of all the time in the world why did her heart have to overrule her head exactly now? Exactly with him?

Lara ran, forgetting about everything else around her. She flung the gate open and dashed out into the chilly evening. It was raining… again. Just like that evening when she had written those lines. Had that happened at all? Raindrops were running down her cheeks like millions of tears she did not dare to cry anymore. She fell to her knees, landing in the mud a few meters away from the gate. Holding her face up towards the sky, she let the rain run down her, let her unsolicited tears mingle with them. Let them ease her pain.


	16. Chapter 16

**Time has come... last chapter...**

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><p>His touch was gentle. The light caress of his fingertips hardly distinguishable from the soft raindrops running down her cheek. Lara did not want to open her eyes, did not want to face reality. Just for one moment still, she wanted to enjoy this blissful feeling. No matter how she tried, she could not really be angry with him. Even though he had invaded her mind, planted ideas in her head, made her say things she had never wanted to say.<p>

Maybe it had to be. Maybe this was the only way for her out of this misery, but it was her fight. No one else could fight it for her. Instead of her.

"Why?" – she asked softly, her voice hardly to be heard as the rain was steadily drumming on the ground around them. Kurtis was kneeling in front of her, just like he had been in the tomb once. Watching her face, he could not help noticing how her lips quivered, how the realization of her own emotions hit her. Again.

"They were all worried sick about you. Zip and Winston." – he started to explain. "So Zip tracked me down somehow… I still don't know how." – he remembered the phone call out of the blue. When he had heard that she was suffering, he had left everything behind. The only reason why he had stayed away from her was to keep her safe. But knowing she was in pain was unbearable. So he had waited for her to fall asleep and Zip had brought him to her. Kurtis had entered her mind, just to be confronted with all that pain and agony that imprisoned her, putting that sadness in her eyes, keeping those gorgeous lips from smiling.

"I can't…" – her words were washed away by the rain and Lara couldn't help cuddling against his hand cupping her face again. The pad of his thumb gently caressed her wet skin, trying the impossible to dry the tears he knew were coming. They were both soaked to the bone, kneeling in the mud, but it was not important. Nothing else was important but her. He inched a bit closer, reducing the already tiny distance between them.

"Don't you feel better?" – he asked softly. Lara had done it once. She had accepted her feelings and told him everything. What she had been afraid of, what had made her suffer. "Say it again. It's much easier the second time."

She shook her head slowly, hardly noticeably. "Can't you see what you're doing to me?" – she seemed so lost, fighting the same battle she had already.

"I'm not doing anything to you. It was all you, you alone." – he put a finger under her chin, made her face him. "I've only been there for you, as I am now." – he watched the raindrops caressing her face, washing off the painful expression. "Please look at me." – he waited patiently to see that brown glance again until she slowly opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, and for minutes Lara was only watching him intently, absorbing those warm feelings that made her forget about the chilly rain soaking her.

"I'm so afraid. Is this real now?" – she whispered in disbelief.

"It's always been real. You and I. What I said, what you felt. It was all real." – when he saw the confusion slowly disappear, he craved to see that sweet surrender he had once experienced with her. Her, accepting the feelings he knew were in her. Not far from the surface anymore. "Say it, please."

"Why do you do this to me? Please don't…" – she pleaded, fearing to admit to her emotions.

"I'm not here because Zip asked me to." – he was still holding her gaze steadily and Lara could see the truth behind his words. It was all written in his eyes. "Can't you see what's between us?" – his thumb traced her wet lips when she tried to shake her head in denial, not willing to take this silent, tenuous answer.

"We can't…" – before she could continue, his fingers hushed her.

"I've been afraid to bring you into danger when I'm around. You made me realize what a mistake this was. We can't run from our feelings, Lara." – he cupped her face with both hands now, gently forcing her to keep looking into his eyes. "It's been your face I was seeing every night. You kept me going." – he whispered, offering all he felt for her. "I love you… I've always loved you."

There it was again. Surrender. The tough Lara Croft melting into his arms, those hot tears not cried by pain anymore. He kissed them away, tasting the salty tears mixed with the rain on her skin.

"Kurtis." – she muttered against his lips, completely lost in him.

"Shh…. Just say that you forgive me." – he wanted to hear it. He had to. Instead of an answer she kissed back passionately, arms around his neck, body pressed against his and this time Kurtis did not force the answer. Her lips told him everything in a much more elemental way than words ever could.

The sweetness of the kiss turned into something feral, and he had to get more of her. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her back into the house, up the stairs, into her room where all had started from. Then they were suddenly standing in front of that wide bed of hers, facing each other.

"You're shivering." – he whispered, trying to find his sanity. Lara did not answer, there was no need for words. She let her hands do the talking, gliding them up his chest, slowly opening his wet shirt. It was not the cold making her shiver. Not only.

The soaked clothes landed on the floor, one after the other. His fingers touched the soft skin of her shoulder, tracing down, finding those little scars on her. She looked glorious in the dim light. God, he had been longing for this ever since he had seen her in Paris. When she slipped into the bed, he silently followed. Loneliness fled the room, and a delightful moan left her lips when his warm, firm body covered hers, chasing away all the demons of the past.

Velvety darkness surrounded them when Lara opened her eyes hours later. Kurtis was lying next to her and she heaved a sigh of relief. So it was not a dream after all. She watched the vague light of the moon play on his skin, his chest moving slowly as he breathed. It had been a leap of faith, but she had no regrets. If only for a night, for another hour, even another minute, but she desperately wanted to be with him.

Lara moved her head to the side when she glimpsed something in the corner of her eyes. As if a shadow was moving in through the door in a dark corner. Had she been deceived by her senses? One quiet click in the night. She sat up, holding the thin sheet in front of her. When her eyes got used to the lack of light, a dark figure was standing only a few meters away from her. Tilting her head to the side, she fixed her gaze on him.

"Who are you?" – her voice was low, not more than a whisper.

"That's not important at the moment." – the man answered calmly, coming closer a bit, but keeping a safe distance from her. "My employer has a job for you."

* * *

><p><strong>God, this has been an experiment! I've never written such an ending, so go and tell me what you think! Hate it, love it, finding it irritating? I want to know :) <strong>

**As usual... special thanks to Angy1996 for the idea and the support throughout the story (and of course the reviews). I had great fun writing this!**

**Another special thanks to Najel for the chats and reviews! - you kept me going!**

**BIG HUG for x The Dreaming Dove x for the support and for correcting my terrible grammar mistakes! - You're the best!**

**Thanks to Nemesis... I loved your enthusiasm for the story. Same goes to en-lumine and Jessica151294! And last but not least Arthemida, who is at least as much a hopeless romantic as I am :)**

**I say thanks to everyone else, who read the story and enjoyed it! I've never had so many hits and reviews before! I love you guys! This story will have a special place in my heart!**

**So up to new adventures... please visit my profile to see what's coming :) Cheers!**


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